A 15-year-old girl who suffered shrapnel wounds from the Manchester arena bombing has defied all odds to perform in her school’s Christmas dance.
Eve Senior, 15, was leaving the Ariana Grande concert when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive device, murdering 22 people.
She suffered 18 shrapnel wounds, burns and a severed nerve in her leg in the blast, an injury which recently flared up again and forced her back on to crutches.
Eve Senior, 15, was leaving the Ariana Grande concert when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive device, murdering 22 people
A picture of Eve, from Queensbury in West Yorkshire, became one of the defining photos of the atrocity on May 22 this year.
In the image, her left knee was wrapped in a bandage, blood had streaked down her left arm and her jeans were ripped.
Beckfoot Thornton Academy pupil Eve broke down in tears when she returned to her dance group weeks after the horror blast knowing it would be a long road back to the stage.
She was dealt a further blow when doctors warned she wouldn’t be able to take part ‘The Magic of Musicals’ school show but Eve was determined to prove them wrong.
And she has astonishing fought through several hospital visits and three operations and will take part in her dance school’s end of year show on Saturday.
She said: ‘I just thought, no, it will be possible.
This picture of Eve, from Queensbury in West Yorkshire, became one of the defining photos of the atrocity on May 22 this year
‘Straight from when they told me I just knew I wasn’t going to sit and watch the show. I’m not that kind of person, I wouldn’t want to do that.
‘Just because this unlucky thing happened to me, it doesn’t mean that it can stop me from doing stuff I’ve done my whole life.
‘I can’t dance the same as I used to be able to and I won’t be able to do that for quite a long time, but it’s a good thing to be able to even do one dance.’
Manchester teddy bears will be given to children around the world
Hundreds of teddy bears left as tributes in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena terror attack are to be sent to children around the world.
More than 100 volunteers from the Women’s Institute (WI) and shoemakers Timpsons have re-purposed 1,900 toys left by well-wishers.
The teddies will now be distributed to youngsters via Greater Manchester charities including Wood Street Mission and The Toy Appeal.
Pictured, tributes are laid to those who were killed in the Manchester terror attack in St Ann’s Square in the city
Bearly Loved and The Teddy Trust, which work internationally, will also send some out across the globe.
After being carefully removed from St Ann’s Square, Timpsons stepped forward to store the soft toys and dry them out.
They were then handed to army of WI members from across Greater Manchester to be washed and repaired where needed.
Judith Suckling, vice president of Old Trafford Wonder Women WI, said it was an honour to help.
‘It was very moving for all of us, knowing the bears’ history and why they had been left on the square.
‘We wanted to do our own bit to clean them and give them a future’, she said.
It is estimated around 300,000 bouquets of flowers were also left by mourners.
Most of the floral tributes were taken to Wythenshawe Park, where the wrapping was removed by In Bloom volunteers.
Any messages attached were saved to be added an archive, while bouquets past their best were composted and used in the city centre and elsewhere.
Some flowers were pressed or air-dried to be used in the future.
Around 600 potted plants were also left in St Ann’s Square.
Many were planted around the city centre, including at Manchester Cathedral and Manchester Art Gallery.
The rest were either donated to residential care homes, offered to gardening groups, or planted in Wythenshawe Park.
Cards, candles, balloons and other momentoes such as Manchester Run medals, bee-related objects, knitted or sewn items as well as very personal items left for individuals, have all too been saved and will be cleaned and placed into the archive.
Cllr Sue Murphy, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said: ‘We’re determined this horrific event that has both devastated and touched the lives of so many people shall not be forgotten, and nor will those who died or were injured.
‘The amount of love and feeling invested in each and every one of the teddies and other tributes left on St Ann’s Square could be felt by everyone who saw them, and absolutely no-one could have failed to have been moved by them.
‘Whilst we will never forget what has happened, it’s important that we also start to look towards the future.
‘Moving on this huge family of teddies that were left with such feeling and amongst much sadness on St Ann’s Square for other children now to enjoy and to cherish is a big part of this.’